Pressing-machine.



D. IVI. COOPER.

PRESSING MACHINE".

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8. I9I2.

Patented May Il, MI5.

5 SHEETSwSHEET I.

@Mb/albumi# D. IVI. COOPER.

PRESSING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.8.1912. 193.39934@ Patented May u, i915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

D. M. COOPER.

PRESSING MACHINE.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

5. 1 9 1 .1 W M 1a 6 t H. 9 .L na D1 .2.. um R. DI A D E N 0 U A wv. H DI A O m@ Am D 9 n@ mi. y l

I l I Ilkl l i Il l l I l l i l l l Il l I wr w. um .ww w C M M. 5 b

v D. IVI. COOPER.

PRESSI'NG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8 1912.

Patented May 1L E915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

,CUZZ'QZ M C220 er D. IVI. COOPER.

PRESSING MACHINE.A

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8. I9I2.

Patented May 11, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHUT 5.

wi {T1/recom Uran srarns ramena ortica.

DANIEL M. COOPER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN LAUNDRY MACHINERY COMPANY, 0F CINCINNATI, OI-IIO, A CORPORATION OE OHIO.

PRESSINGr-MACHINE.

insaaae.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May ii, iets.

Application led April 8, 1912. Serial No. 689,156.

T0 all whom it may concern: Y v

Be it known that I, DANIEL M. COOPER, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pressing- Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,.clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

The present invention relates to improvements in pressing machines, having reference more particularly to the type of machine employed for ironing underwear, and similar flat pieces of work, and embodying generally a stationary heated bed, a presser adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with the bed, and a work holder arrangedl for movement between the bed and presser to support the goods during the pressing operation, and it has for its object to provide a machine in which the goods can be constantly fed, to the machine with great rapidity.

A further object of my invention is to provide a machine which uses a removable work holder, so that one operator can be positioning the goods on the work holders, while another operator can feed the holders successively into the machine, thus enabling a continuous operation and permitting a large amount of work to be done on one machine.

Another object of my improvements is to provide means whereby the entire operation of the machine can' be effected by a single movement of a treadle, or controlling de'- vice, which serves to set in operation a mechanism, operating in the first instance to feed the gobds to a point between the presser and the bed, and subsequently to move the presser into engagement with the bed, the presser being retained in engagement for a predetermined length of time.

' To these and other ends the invention consists-in certain improvements-and combinationsof parts, all as will be hereinafter more fullyA described, the novel features, being pointed out in the claimsat the end of the specification.

In the drawings: Figurepl is a view in side elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of my invention, the work holder appearing in dotted lines; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same showing a work holder in position to be fed; Fig. 3 is an end elevation; Fig. 4 is an elevation, looking at the opposite end of the machine Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of the controlling mechanism; Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation of the same; Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 7 7 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 of` Fig. 5; Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line 9 9 of Fig. 5; Fig. l() is a transverse sectional view of the clutch which controls the operation of the presser; Fig. 11 is a sectional viewv on the line 11-11 of Fig-5; Fig. 12 is an enlarged view, in elevation,` of a portion of a work holder and the frame on which it travels; Fig. 13 is an enlarged sectional view, taken transversely through the frame, and showing one of the guideways andthe feeding device which moves therein; Fig. 14 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional view throug'h the frame, showing one of the feeding devices; Fig. 15 is a detail view showing the connection between the switch arm and the rock shaft controlling the latter; Fig. 16 is a view in elevation of the retaining means for holding the switch arm in its several positions, and Fig. 17 is a view in elevation of the switch which controls the operation of the presser.

Similar reference numerals throughout Athe several figures indicate the same parts.

In the present embodiment, which illustrates a convenient and preferred arrangement for adapting the improvements to a machine, the invention comprises a frame generally, which includes the base 1, the upright portions 2 to which are attached the standards 8, the latter carrying the supporting head 4 on which is mounted the stationar)T bed 5. The bed 5 may be heated in any suitable manner, as well known in this type of machinery, and while I have shown the bed arranged above the presser, the presser being movable upwardly to engage the bed, it will be understood that this arrangement may be reversed, while still carrying out the features of my invention. Attached to the upright portions 2 are bracesv 6 and 7 which support the guide-ways or brackets 8 in which the feeding devices move. The

presser is designated at 9, being suitably mounted on the sleeves 10 which are arranged for vertical movement on the aforementioned standards 3. The presser is also heated, preferably by circulation of steam through the pipes 11 in the usual manner.

I The goods are fed longitudinally of the machine to a position between the stationary bed and the presser, the latter being thereupon raised to engage the bed, as will hereinafter be described, and for the purpose of supporting and feeding the work, IV provide, in the present embodiment, a rectangular frame 12 which supports a web 13fof canvas or like material that is held inthe frame by means of lacing 14, and for convenience throughout the remainder of this description, I will refer to this part as the Work holder. lThe machine is so arranged as to accommodate two such work holders simultaneously, and as one work holder is fed to pressing position, the work holder last operated on is ejected from pressing position by the first work holder. Any number of work holders'may be employed, and these may be filled with work at the convenience of the operators so that one will always be ready togo in the machine, and in this Way much more can be accomplished than if the work holder were a permanent part of the mechanism. This is an important feature of my improvement, although it is to be understood that the .construction and operation of the presser actuating means that will be hereinafter described, as Well as other features of the machine, are not necessarily limited in their use to a machine embodying a removable work holder as described, but might be employed to good effect in a machine where a continuous conveyer, or other means than that herein described, is used vfor supporting the work.

The work holders are suitably supported on the side rails 15, being arranged above a table 16 and are adapted to be moved longitudinally of the frame by means of feeding devices, which, in the present embodiment,

consist of the members 17 engaging in the guide-ways 8 and having projections 18 which extend upwardly beyond the table 16 and are in position to engage the Work holder. The feeding devices are arranged to be moved longitudinally of the frame by suitable treadle controlled operating means having connection with the feeding devices, and I will now describe a preferred form of said operating means, as disclosed in the present embodiment. 4 j

A normally stationary member, comprising a shaft 19, is connected to the feeding device, and to this end carries crank arms 2O having crank pins 21 engaging slots 22 in the levers 23, `the latter being pivotally mounted at 24 and connected to the feeding devices by means of the connecting rods 25.

'Ihe shaft 19 is adapted to be operated by a constantly driven member, which in the present embodiment, comprises the disk 26 iixedly lmounted on a hollow shaft 27, the,`

shaft 19 isactuated from the disk 26, upon the operation of a suitable controlling device, preferably inthe form of a treadle 31.

which is arranged to actuate a clutch between the disk 26 and the member 32, which is keyed on the shaft 19. To this end, the disk 26 carries a plurality of projections 33 while the member 32 has pivotally mounted thereon a clutch 34 controlled by a spring 35, the latter serving todraw the clutch into operative position where it engages one of the projections 33. The clutch is normally held in inoperative position by means of the releasing member 36 which is mounted on the rock shaft 37. The latter has iiXed thereon the arm 38 to which is pivotally connected a rod 39, which is in turn connected to the treadle 31 by meansof an arm 40 mounted on a rock shaft 41, carrying the aforementioned treadle 31. The treadle is preferably provided with a suitable weight 42 to return it to normal position. From this, it will appear, that upon pressing the treadle 31, the clutch 34 is released and locks the member 32 with the constantly rotating disk 26, thereby causing the shaft 19 to turn through a complete revolution, and this through the crank arms 20 and levers 23, reciprocates the connecting rods 25, and

moves the feeding devices longitudinally of the frame sufiiciently to move the Work holder from the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 to the pressing positin between the bed and presser. At the same t1me, the work holder that is already in pressing position and have just previously een operated on, is ejected from its pressmg position beneath the bed, to the delivery end of the machine by the advancing work holder.

The presser is operated subsequently to the' movement of the feeding devices, and by means of instrumentalities controlled by the movement of the feeding devices, as will now be described. In the present embodiment, the presser 9 is adapted to be moved upwardly by-means of the plunger 43 which carries an adjustable engaging portion 44 and is' provided with arms 45 having rollers 46 at their outer ends for engagement with the ways 47. The plunger 43 1s supported by means of a toggle joint, consistin of the toggle links 48 and 49, respective and knuckle 50, the latter being arranged in the recess 5l of a traveling block 52 whichis threaded interiorly and is arranged to be engaged by a rotary screw 53 mounted on the shaft 54. Said shaft 54 carries. the gear wheel 55 meshing with the pinion 56 which is mounted on the motor shaft of the electric motor 57. The presser is. first raised, being held in pressing position for a predetermined length of time, and thereafter low- The switch arm 62 is pivotally connected by means of link 63 with a rock-arm 64 which is loosely mounted on the rock shaft 65. F ixedly attached to said rock shaft 65 is a yoke member 66 carrying springs 67 which engage the opposite sides of the projection 68, the latter being fixed on the rock-arm 64. The purpose of this construction is to provide a yieldable connection between the rock shaft-65 and the link 63. The rock shaft 65 is arranged to be moved alternately in opposite directions, and to this end carries the arm 69 which is engaged and operated by a normally stationary member in a manner that I will now describe.-

The hollow shaft 27, which is constantly driven from the motor 30 throu h worm wheel 28, carries a Worm gear 0 which meshes with the worm wheel 71 fixed upon the shaft 72. The shaft 72 carries a clutch member 73 which is fixed thereon and provided with a series of notches or recesses 74. The clutch member 73 coperates with a normal stationary member, the latter in the present embodiment comprising the disk 75 which is loosely mounted on the shaft 72 and carries two pairs of oppositiely disposed abutments 76, said abutments-being mounted on plates 77 which are adjustably attached to the disk 75 by means of the slots 78 and suitable securing means. The disk 75 has pivotally mounted thereon a pair of clutches 79 connected by the link 80 and arranged to be actuated by the springs 81. Each of said clutches is provided with a tail piece 82, and 83 designates a releasing member mounted on the rock shaft 84 and adapted -to engage one of the tail pieces 82, as shown in Fig. 7, to hold the clutches 79 normally in inoperative position. The rock shaft 84 has fixed thereon the weighted arm 85 whiclris arranged to be engaged by the lever 86, the latter being mounted on the shaft 19 and adjustably held in fixed relation to the member 32 by means of theslot 87 and nut 88, as shown in Fig. 6. Thus,

after the treadle 31 is actuated to cause movement of th'e feeding devices, as the shaft 19 turns, the lever 86 engages the arm 85 at such an instant with relation to the turning of shaft 19, that the feeding devices will have completed their inward movement and be almost in their normal positions. This operates the rock shaft 8.4 and releasing member 83, and thus permits the clutches 79 to engage clutch member 74 and rotate the disk 75, for half a. revolution, or in other words, until the opposite abutment 82 reaches the releasing member and engages the same. During this half revolution of the disk 75, the arm 69 on rock shaft 65 is operated alternately in opposite directions by the two oppositely disposed abutments on one half of the disk 75. This movement of the' rock shaft 65 is communicated to switch arm 62, moving the same first in one direction and then in the opposite direction, whereby the motor 57 is operated alternately in opposite directions to first. raise the presser and subsequently lower the presser. By adjusting the abutments 76 on the disk 75, the time during which the presser is held in engagement with the bed may be changed to suit the demands of the ,machine In order to hold the movable contact of the switch in its adjusted position, I preferably mount on the rock shaft 61 a locking plate 89 provided with a series of notches 90 which are arranged to engage an abutment on the pivotally mounted spring controlled retaining member 91. By this means, when the rockv shaft 65 is operated to move the switch-arm in one direction or the other, the latter is held in such position by the retainingmember 91, causing the motor to operate in the corresponding direction, until the switch arm is moved to its normal or intermediate position, as shown in Fig. 3. To accomplish this last result, I provide on the block 52 a vertical extension 92 which carries the stop-bar 93 on which are the adjustably mounted stops 94. In the operation, `when the presser reaches the limit of its movement either upwardly or down- Wardly, the block 52 will have reached such a position as to cause one of the stops 94 to engage'the switch arm 62 and return it to its normal intermediate position.

In the position shown in Fig. 3, the presser has just reached the limit of its upward movement and is in engagement with the bed, the switch arm 62 having just been returned to its normal position by the nearest stop 94. The presser will remain in this position until the disk 7 5 has rotated far enough to actua-te the rock shaft 65 and thereupon throw the switch arm 62 in the opposite direction so as to reverse the direction of the motor 57 and lower the presser. At the. end of the downward movement of the presser, the switch arml 62 will be engaged by the other abutment 94 and returned 54 a brake disk 95 which is arranged to be engaged on opposite sides by the pivotally mounted braking member 96, the latter being operated by means of a rod 97 passing therethrough and connected to the block 52. Springs 98 and 99 are provided on the rod 97 on opposite sides of the braking member 96, so as to provide a resilient connection and prevent any undue jarring or straining of the parts, while at the same time stopping the movement of the screw 53 immediately upon the operation of the controlling switch.

It is possible that the operator might inadvertently depress the treadle while the presser is raised which would cause serious injury to the machine, and to prevent this, Il provide a locking device which is thrown into operation when the presser is raised, to prevent movement of the feeding devices. To this end, the arm 38 carries an upwardly extending portion 100, arranged to be engaged by the weighted latch 101. Said latch 101 is pivoted at 102 andcarries a tail piece 103, which is in position to be engaged by a rod 104 mounted on the presser. Normally, when the presser is lowered, the latch is raised, as shown in full lines in Fig. 6, and when the presser is raised, the latch falls, as lshown in dotted lines, engaging the por- .tion 100on arm 38, and preventing move ment of said arm. The feeding devices thus cannot operate, except when the presser is lowered.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a pressin machine, the combination y.

With a frame, o a bed, a presser movable vertically of the frame and cooperating withy the bed, feeding devices movable longitudinally of the frame, means having connection with the feeding devices for moving the latter, and instrumentalities controlled by the movement of the last mentioned means for operating said presser.

2. In a pressing machine, the combination with a frame, of a bed, a presser movable vvertically of the frame and coperating with the bed, feeding devices movable longitudinally of the frame, means for moving the feeding devices, and instrumentalities con? trolled by said means for operating the presser, said instrumentalities being brought into operation after the movement of the feeding devices.

3. In a pressing machine, the combination with a frame, of a bed, a presser movable vertically of the frame and coperating with the bed, feeding devices movable longitudinally of the frame, operating means acting first to effect movement of the feeding devices and subsequently to actuate the presser, and a controlling device connected to said operating means. y p

Y 4. In a pressing machine, the combination with a frame, of a bed, a presser movable vertically of the framefand coperating with the bed, feeding devices movable longitudinally of the frame, and treadle-controlled operating means acting first to effect movement of the'feeding devices and subsequently to actuate the resser.

5. In a presslng machine, the combination with a frame, of a bed, a presser movablevertically of the frame and cooperating with the bed, ,reciprocatory feeding devices movable longitudinally of the frame, means for nally of the frame, a normally stationary member adapted to impart movement to the feeding devices, and a second normally stationary member adapted'to control the movement of the presser, treadle-controlled means for operating the first mentioned normally stationary member, and means actuated by the movement of the latter for operating the lsecond normally stationary member.

7. In a pressing machine, the combination with a frame, of a bed, a presser movable vertically of the frame and cooperating with the bed, feeding devices movable longitudinally of the frame, an electric me or for actuating the presser, a switch contro`i ling the motor, and operating means for' effecting movement of the" feeding devices, said means being operatively connected to the aforementioned switch to control the position of thelatter. y y

8. In a pressing machine, the combination with a frame, of a bed, a'presser movable vertically of the frame and coperating with the bed, feeding devices movable longitudinally of the frame, anv electric motor for actuating the presser', a switch controlling said motor, and-'operating means acting first to effect movement ofthe feeding devices and subsequently to operate said switch 9. -In a pressing machine, the combination with a frame, of -a bed, a presser movable vertically of the frame and coperating with the bed, feeding devices movable longitudinally of the frame, an electric motor for actuating the presser, a switch controlling said motor, operating means acting vsaid operating means connected to the presser and adapted to operate alternately in opposite directions to raise and lower the presser, a switch con-' trolling the movement of said motor, a switch arm, and operating means. acting first to effect movement of the feeding devices, said operating means being connected to the switch arm and acting to move the latter alternately in opposite directions subsequently to the actuation of the feeding devices.

ll. ln a pressing machine, the combination with a frame, of a bed, a presser movable vertically of the frame andcoperating with the bed, feeding devices movable longitudinally of` the frame, operating means for effecting movement of the feeding devices, and instrumentalities controlled by for actuating the presser, said instrumentalities including a toggle joint supporting the presser, a traveling block actuating the toggle joint, an electric motor operatively connected to said traveling block, a. switch controlling said motor, a switch arm adapted to be moved alternately in opposite directions, and means carried by the traveling block for returning the switch arm to normal position.

l2. ln a pressing machine, the combination with a. frame, of a bed, a presser movable vertically of the frame and cooperating with the bed, feeding devices movable lon-v gitudinally of the frame, operating. means for eecting movement of the feeding devices, and instrumentalities controlled by said operating means for actuating the presser, said Vinstrumentalities including a toggle joint supporting the presser, a traveling block actuating the toggle-joint, an electric motor operatively connected to said traveling block, a switch controlling said motor,v a switch arm adapted to be moved alternately in opposite directions, a spring controlled retaining member coperating with the switch arm, and means carried by the traveling block for returning the switch arm to normal position.

13. ln apressing machine, the combination with a frame, of a bed, a presser movable vertically of the frame and vcooperating with the bed, feeding devices movable longitudinally of the frame, operatin for eecting movement of the fee ing devices, and instrumentalities controlled by said operating means for actuating the presser, a locking device coperating with the operating means to prevent movement of the feeding devices when the presser is in engagement with the bed, and means `carried by the presser acting to controlsaid locking device.

14. In a pressing machine, the combination with a frame, of a'bed, a presser movable vertically of the frame and cooperating with the bed, feeding devices movable longitudinally of the frame, operating means for effecting movement of the feeding devices, and-instrumentalities controlled by said operating means for actuating the presser, said instiumentalities including a toggle-joint supporting the presser, a traveling block actuating the toggle-joint, a rotary screw in engagement with said block, and means for rotating the screw alternately in opposite directions for predetermined periodsk `of time. j.

15.` lin a pressing machine, the combination with a frame, of a bed, a presser movable vertically of the frame and cooperating with the bed, feeding devices movable longitudinally of the frame, a toggle-joint supporting the presser, a traveling block actuating the toggle-joint, a rotary screw in engagement with said block, and treadle-controlled means for effecting movement of the feeding devices and subsequently rotating the screw alternately in opposite directions for predetermined periods of time.

16. ln a pressing machine, the combination with a frame, of a bed, a presser movable vertically of the frame and coperating with the bed, feeding devices movable loiigitudinally of the frame, and treadle-contiolled means for first edecting movement of the feeding devices, and subsequently moving the presser toward the bed, retaining the presser in pressing relation for a predetermined period of time, and finally moving the presser away from the bed.

17. In a pressing machine, the combinawith the bed, reciprocatory feeding devices movable longitudinally of the frame, a rotating member, a normally stationary inember, a treadle-controlled clutch adapted to connect said members, and operative connections between the feeding devices and said normally stationary member.

18. In a pressing machine, the combination with a frame, of a bed,`a presser movable vertically of the frame and cooperating with the bed, feeding devices movable longitudinally of the frame, a rotating member, a normally stationary member, a treadle-controlled clutch adapted to connect said members, connecting rods leading from the feeding devices, pivotally mounted slotted links having connection with said connecting rods,

and crank arms carried by the normally staslotted links to reciprocate the connecting ro s.

19. In a pressing machine, the combination With a frame, of a bed, a presser movable vertically ofthe frame and coperating with the bed, guidevvays extending longitudinally of the frame, feeding devices adapted to move in said guidevvays, a rotating member, a normally stationary member, a treadle-'controlled clutch adapted to connect said members, and operative connections between the feeding devices and the normally stationary member.

20. In a pressing machine, the combination With a frame, of a bed, a presser movable vertically of the frame and cooperating with the bed, feeding devices movable longitudinally of the frame, operating means for effecting movement of the feeding devices, and instrumentalities controlled by said operating means for actuating the presser, said instrumentalities including an electric motor operatively connected to the presser, a switch controlling the motor, a switch arm, a rock-shaft connected to the switch arm, a rotatable disk adapted to be set in motion by said operating means, and abutments adjustably mounted on the disk and cooperating With said rock-shaft to move the same alternately in opposite directions.

DANIEL M. COOPER. Witnesses:

R. G. STALLKNIGHT, E. C. HAROLD. 

